


What's happened's happened.

by mypassionfortrash



Category: Tenet (2020)
Genre: Angst, Car Accidents, Character Death, F/M, Inversion, Neil has a wife
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2020-09-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:14:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26578906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mypassionfortrash/pseuds/mypassionfortrash
Summary: After an argument, Neil’s wife is killed in a car accident. Riddled with guilt and desperate to see her again, Neil inverts with disastrous consequences.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 12





	What's happened's happened.

**Author's Note:**

> More Neil! Sorry. Not Sorry. I'm gonna work on a longer Neil fic for NaNoWriMo this year – and hopefully win!

“She’s dead – and there’s no way you’re gonna bring her back. It’s like you always said; ‘what’s happened’s happened.’”

“I know,” Neil said, unable to meet his coworker’s stare. “I just want to see her again. One last time.”

“You realise you can’t even talk to her?”

Neil kept his eyes on the floor and nodded.

“And you can’t change how things play out.”

Neil swallowed hard.

“I’m warning you, Neil. We– the world… needs you here.”

He slipped on his mask and moved towards the inverter, pausing with one foot on the threshold. “I just want to see her again. That’s all. I’m gonna go back a week. I’ll let you know when I catch up.”

* * *

It had been so long since Neil had driven a car like this; whether it was the change in handling or the sense of dread he felt at what he knew was about to happen, the tyres seemed to screech a little louder than usual and the gears jammed. Even finding his way back home felt like a challenge. He hadn’t been back since she died.

He glanced down at his watch and back up to the door – from a safe distance across the street. He’d see her again... any second now.

His heart sank, watching the scene play out. Helpless to do anything.

Neil shifted forward in his seat as the door to his home flew open and his wife stormed out. A past version of himself followed her. Right to the car. They were still screaming at each other.

Neil’s jaw clenched, willing that version of himself to just back down. He could diffuse anything at work – bombs, hostage situations… why couldn’t he do that with her? She might have still been alive if he had just mastered that art.

He glanced down at his watch again as her car sped out of the driveway. Two minutes to go.

Deep down he knew he could stop it and save her and be happy again. He tried to keep his hands occupied, away from his phone. Trying anything. Fiddling with the radio. Drumming his fingers against the steering wheel. Knitting them together in his lap. But before he knew it, his phone was in his hands, dialling her number.

“Neil, I don’t want to talk to you!”

“Please, darling I need you to listen to me. Calm down. Pull over. I’m coming to get you.”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Neil cursed. Remembering that he was inverted.

“Is this some kind of–“

* * *

Neil’s coworker seemed to understand. With a wistful sigh and a serious, worried look, he finally came up with what he thought were the right words. “The way I see it is that you could leave – we both know what that means for you. You could keep going back and back and back and try to change things every time until you waste away and you’ll never get your wife back. Or you can stay here. We need you. Nobody knows inversion tech like you do and you’ve got the chance to do something humanity’s gonna thank you for.”

“I’m doubly responsible for my wife’s death,” Neil said through gritted teeth. “And I have a chance to change things.”

“Maybe things shouldn’t be changed.”

“And if this fucking thing hadn’t been invented, she’d still be here.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Oh, I do.” The manic look in Neil’s eye sent a chill through his coworker.

“You said it yourself, that’s unknowable.”

“Well, you can either help me figure this out, so that I can get her back. Or I’ll walk.”

“And then I’d have to kill you, Neil. You know that.”

Neil got to his feet and shrugged, “what more do I have to lose?”


End file.
